Law Guarantees Back Pay Amid Shutdown Dispute | JQJO

With paychecks halted for about 1.4 million federal employees, confusion deepened over retroactive pay as a draft White House budget memo cast doubt on guarantees. The Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 says furloughed and “excepted” workers will receive full back pay at the earliest possible date after the shutdown ends, a point underscored by legal experts despite shifting OPM guidance. Contractors aren’t covered. Some federal workers may claim unemployment, later offset by back pay. Many cut spending after missing their first full paychecks Friday, as the shutdown hit day 27.